When is "quiet season" on the Cambrian though? If it's not term-time at Aberystwyth Uni, it's high season for holidaymakers up the coast. There's only the Xmas/new year period and that's only a couple of weeks.
October through April is quiet even on the mainline in real terms. The Uni does generate a bit of traffic but only a noticeable amount of traffic happens around students going home and coming back which is usually a few days of the year. Some random October or November term time weekday like a Tuesday would probably be the Best bet.
My contacts at Ponty have confirmed this is the case. The units are at Landore doing dilapidation work and has confirmed they are all still on lease to TfW (bar the two now at Ely). Apparently they are in terrible condition. Mouldy, water leaks, engines not starting, fire damage to repair, defects list as long as your arm... doesn't sound good.
That would be a far more logical move. 150s for Devon metro, 158s and 166s for Pompey-Cardiff. 165s on Bristol locals and Weymouths.
Isn't that how they left the factory!
Mouldy? When I rode one last summer there was no sign of it. That implies leaks developed while in storage maybe?.
150236 has now finished as is due it's C6. They are being stood down as they come up on their C6 exams.
Seats can easily go mouldy in a few weeks if saloons aren't heated regularly.
Unsure where else would the depot go? Other sites like Landore, as shown for the majority of the last few posts, is very much filled with 175s now and Cardiff Canton is a large place with many different fleets and isn't really a maintenance depot like Chester as it says in the name, Cardiff Canton Sidings. Since the 175s haven't exactly gone much of anywhere for a while, with a few not moving at all since their entrance into storage such as 175113 which hasn't moved from Chester since it entered in October, they can't exactly be in any good state, especially without required maintenance which Landore, Holyhead and Crewe cannot provide
That is a shame, you'd think it'd make sense to once in a while turn them on even if they're being handed back to avoid this.
Meanwhile the 379s were turned on and run around 2 weeks, and were left with dehumidifiers inside. As such they've stayed in good shape.
Just makes it worse, surely the cost of that would be lower than repairing circa 30 units.
There has been extensive discussion on this from people who know a lot more than me. The early idea was a brownfield rail-connected site, which would have had the advantage of adding regeneration of said site. I believe it was still to have been near Chester, but others will know a lot more than me.
Ish...
How long would a unit potentially last if the C6 exam was done? How long before it would need doing again? Apologies I know literally NOTHING about this sort of thing!
Yes, simply no point throwing any money at them now. Will just drop out of the bottom at the next cascade/fleet renewal.
Unless one gets grabbed for preservation
